History of the IBA Program

Mar. 2012

The winter edition of BirdWatch Canada,
the national magazine of Bird Studies Canada,
features an
informative article on the state of the IBA
Program in Canada. The article provides a
glimpse of the important work that is occurring
across the country, led by regional and national
partners, and IBA Caretakers.

Nov. 2010

Nature Canada is urging Gilead Power
Corporation and the Ontario Government not to
build a wind turbine farm on Ostrander Point
Crown Land; in the heart of the globally
significant
Prince Edward Point Important Bird
and Biodiversity Area.
This IBA overlaps Ostrander Point, Prince Edward
Point National Wildlife Area, and Timber Island
Provincial Nature Reserve. It contains some of
the best bird habitat in southern Ontario.
Read more.

2009-2014

TransCanada Corporation has committed $1
million for five years as a national supporter of the Canadian Important Bird Areas Caretaker Network, a
nationwide initiative to establish a volunteer network
of Caretakers who will watch over and protect IBAs in
their communities.
Read the full news release.

Bird Studies Canada and Nature Canada
organize an IBA Caretaker workshop that brings together
the national partners, representatives from the five
provinces currently signed on for Caretaker Networks
(BC, AB, SK, QC, NS), and a guest from the BirdLife
partner in Denmark who shares his experiences and
expertise with the meeting participants.

May 2009

An IBA Technical Coordinator has been hired
to work closely with the national and regional IBA
Program partners and BirdLife International to ensure
that the program runs smoothly in Canada. The
Coordinator, who is based at Bird Studies Canada’s
headquarters, is responsible for updating criteria, data
management systems, and site summaries; providing
guidance to IBA Caretakers; and working with the
program’s scientific and technical committees.

May 2009

The Government of Nova Scotia has designated
the two islands of Nova Scotia’s Bird Islands IBA as a
provincial Wildlife Management Area. These islands
support the largest colony of Great Cormorants in North
America, and the largest concentration of Black-legged
Kittiwakes, Razorbills, and Atlantic Puffins within Nova
Scotia. We applaud the decision to recognize and legally
protect this IBA.

2008-2009

The U.S. Neotropical Migratory Bird
Conservation Act (NMBCA) grant program has committed
$82,000 to establish, build, test, and refine web-based
data management, analysis, mapping, reporting, and
communications tools that are required to support the Caretaker
Network in BC and to support the future
development of Caretaker initiatives elsewhere in
Canada.

Aug. 2008

We congratulate the Government of Canada
for designating three new National Wildlife Areas (NWAs)
in Nunavut, protecting nearly half a million hectares of
wilderness including the globally significant IBAs at
Cape Searle and Reid Bay. These protected areas will
preserve essential breeding habitat for seabirds
including Canada’s largest Northern Fulmar colony. These
NWAs will also protect habitat for Arctic marine animals
like the endangered bowhead whale, walrus, and harp
seal.

2006

BC Nature establishes an IBA Caretaker Network
to be the “eyes, ears, and hands” on the ground at each
of British Columbia’s 84 IBAs. Support and outstanding
cooperation are provided by BC Nature members and other
partners. The goal of recruiting Caretakers for 50% of
BC’s IBAs for 2007 was surpassed, and by 2008, 90% of
BC’s IBAs were paired with Caretakers.
Learn more about IBAs
in BC.

1999

Nature Canada begins working with site-support
groups through an initiative called Important Bird Areas
Communities in Action to implement critical
conservation-related activities at high-priority sites
across the country.

1999

The first national IBA directory for Canada is
published on the web. Bird Studies Canada leads
scientific and technical coordination, including
directing the process to determine which sites merited
inclusion as Canadian IBAs; maintaining the IBA database
and IBA Canada website; designing and implementing
monitoring systems; and data reporting and analysis.

1996-2001

The initial five-year effort focuses on
site identification and designation in Canada. As part
of this first phase, nearly 600 IBAs are designated using an
internationally established,
science-based approach. In the first phase of the program, Bird Studies
Canada takes the lead on IBA designation and data
collection. Nature Canada focuses its efforts on site
stewardship and protection, advocacy, and communication.

1996

The Canadian IBA program is launched by the
Canadian BirdLife International partners – Bird Studies
Canada and the Canadian Nature Federation (now Nature
Canada).

1989

A directory to IBAs in Europe is published.

1985

The first IBA program is initiated by BirdLife
International in Europe, after the European Economic
Community asked BirdLife to produce a priority list of
sites for protection in Europe.

The IBA Program is an international conservation initiative coordinated by BirdLife International. The Canadian co-partners for the IBA Program are Bird Studies Canada and Nature Canada.